Drought Information Statement for southeast Ohio, northeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and much of West Virginia Valid September 26, 2025 Issued By: NWS Charleston, WV Contact Information: rlx.webmaster@noaa.gov Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/RLX/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Latest Drought Monitor Main Takeaways D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Expansion across the mountains D2 (Severe Drought): Slight expansion across WV mountains and Kanawha Valley D1 (Moderate Drought): Slight expansion across southeast WV D0: (Abnormally Dry): Introduction across southwest VA and improvement in parts of southeast OH Latest Drought Monitor 4-Week Change Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Worsened: All areas except a small portion of southeast OH and southwest VA No Change: Small portion of southeast OH Drought Improved: None Latest 7-Day Rainfall and 30-Day Percent of Normal Rainfall Observed Precipitation Main Takeaways Significant rain fell close to the Ohio River with lesser amounts elsewhere A narrow stripe of 4-6 inches observed in northeast KY, southeast OH, and far western WV A flip to above normal rainfall now across northeast KY, southern OH, and western WV Pronounced deficits remain across the mountains Latest 7 and 30-Day Temperature Anomaly Observed Temperature Main Takeaways Max temperatures 3 to 6 degrees above normal over the last week and 1 to 3 degrees above normal over the last month Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts 7-day average streamflows have improved over the past few days due to recent rains (USGS) Below normal flows remain across Tygart, Cheat, Kanawha, and Greenbrier basins Low water levels in creeks and streams in August and early September have led to an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in the deer population in southeast OH and western WV (Broadcast and print media, OH DNR, WV DNR) Often fatal for affected deer Exacerbated during drought conditions that occur after a wet beginning to summer Improvement not expected until first frost/freeze Groundwater monitoring wells are lowering, especially in the D2/D3 areas (USGS) Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture slightly improved due to recent rains (NIDIS) Pumpkin crop yields greatly reduced in Greenbrier Valley (Farm Service Agency) Supplemental hay feeding and hauling of water reported amongst livestock producers (Drought Impact Reporter, Condition Monitoring Observer Reports) Early cattle sales reported (Farm Service Agency) Fire Hazard Impacts Fire danger low Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Main Takeaways Streamflows have improved somewhat due to recent rains Considerable improvement along the Ohio River Tygart, Cheat, Greenbrier, Kanawha basins less improvement Groundwater wells continue to slowly decline compared to September normals Many reservoirs are below summer pool including Tygart Lake and Stonewall Jackson Lake Impacts Hauling of water reported from livestock producers Low water levels in creeks and streams have led to an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in the deer population in southeast OH and western WV (Broadcast and print media, OH DNR, WV DNR) Often fatal for affected deer and exacerbated during drought conditions that occur after a wet beginning to summer Agricultural Impacts Main Takeaways Topsoil improving in southeast OH, northeast KY, and western WV Tree canopy stress noted in many areas with early leaf drop observed Impacts Hay shortage remains with supplemental feeding needed for livestock producers Pumpkin yields considerably low in Greenbrier Valley Some reports of relocation of cattle due to drought Many reports of hauling of water for livestock Fire Hazard Impacts Main Takeaways Generally low fire danger over the past week given the rain Significant wildfire outlook is normal for September Impacts Early dry leaf drop may contribute to brush fire threat heading into the Fall fire season 7 Day Precipitation Forecast Next 7 days: Upper level system lingers this weekend with showers across the mountains and adjacent lowland counties Saturday with drying areawide Sunday Watching southeast coast for potential tropical system early next week Low confidence on ultimate track and impacts to WV High pressure and dry mid to late next week 8-14 Day Outlook Temperature and Precipitation Outlook Main Takeaways Above normal temperatures favored with a tilt toward below normal rainfall Seasonal (3-Month) Drought Outlook Main Takeaways Favors drought lingering across most areas through the Fall season